2nd person dies after Brownsville fire

A second person has died after a fire Wednesday at a public housing complex in Brownsville.

The fire broke out around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the kitchen of a 13th-floor apartment at the Howard Houses on Mother Gaston Boulevard. An exact cause has not yet been determined, but authorities on Thursday ruled it as accidental, due to electrical wiring issues.

Borough President Eric Adams announced at a news conference Friday that Alexandra Melo, the 40-year-old grandmother of the fire's first victim -- 1-year-old Ivan Baez -- had died. Five other people were hurt.

The tragic fire has sparked a new drive to push for the funding of Brooklyn's first-ever burn unit.

The borough president's team says more than $4 million in city funding has already been set aside for a burn unit, and the city is asking for $10 million from the state to build the structure.